Does Georgia have edge on Florida? Yes — Aaron Murray
Aaron Murray can quiet a lot of critics if he leads Georgia past Florida. (AP photo)
ATHENS – Have you heard? The Georgia quarterback can’t play in big games. He can’t beat great teams. He melts in big moments. He is 0-4 against top 10 teams, 2-8 against ranked teams. He lost to South Carolina. Twice. He’s no David Greene, no D.J. Shockley and he sure ain’t no Buck Belue.
This is how the story about Aaron Murray gets spun. Not that he has thrown 75 touchdown passes in 2½ years, or that he threw for over 400 yards the week after his father had cancer surgery, or that Georgia has won six games this season not in spite of its quarterback but because of him — because the six wins certainly can’t be attributed to special teams or the soft-as-nougat defense (paraphrasing Shawn Williams).
Here is the problem with “the book” on Murray. It’s short-sighted. It’s the cheap-and-easy pop that goes an inch deep instead of Butts-Mehre-wide. The 0-4 and 2-8 records technically are accurate. But that’s a program statement. Since 2008 – two seasons before Murray started a game — Georgia is 1-9 against top 10 teams and 6-14 against top 25s. Does Murray get blamed for that, too, or is that on coach Mark Richt and his staff?
We do this with quarterbacks. They’re the lightning rods. They’re the can’t-win-the-big-game guys until schleps like John Elway or Peyton Manning win Super Bowls, and then we move on to the next guy. We look at a guy like Murray leading four second-half touchdown drives in the loud, zoo-like surroundings at Missouri and think, “OK, that was impressive.” But then Missouri devolves into an 0-4 conference newbie and we think, “OK, that wasn’t a big deal.”
This week it’s Florida. Murray was asked the inevitable question of trying to win the big game. He responded appropriately: “I just ignore it. I’m not playing Florida myself.”
I imagine his psychology degree and post-graduate work has enabled him to remove the emotion from the process in matters like this.
On Florida again: “You can’t go in there stressed. I have to be positive in my thoughts and let her rip. Sometimes, maybe I try to be too perfect or too cautious, thinking about not throwing an interception. My goal this week is to trust my abilities, trust my preparation and just go out there and let it rip.”
Georgia has only one edge over Florida. It’s at quarterback and nowhere else.
Murray is better than Jeff Driskel. He has thrown for more yards (1,914 to 929) and more touchdowns (16 to 8). But Driskel doesn’t play on a team that has underachieved relative to its perceived talent level. He has benefited from the Gators having a great defense. The Gators physically beat two highly ranked teams, LSU and South Carolina, so nobody is questioning their quarterback’s leadership or resolve.
Murray is not the same kid who looked unnerved in Jacksonville two years ago. He was intercepted on the Dogs’ first play, committed two more turnovers in the second quarter that led to Florida touchdowns and threw third interception (fourth turnover) in overtime, enabling the Gators to win 34-31.
“He was just a young quarterback who made some freshman mistakes,” senior Marlon Brown said. “But he’s overcome that.”
Last season’s meeting was better but still not great. He completed only 15 of 39 and had an early interception, but he threw a pair of fourth-down touchdown passes and led the Bulldogs to a 24-20 win.
“People ask do you get a little nervous for Florida? I’m not nervous. Since that first year, once the game gets going I don’t worry about all the extra stuff any more.”
He has evolved as a leader, fortunately in a less combustible way than Shawn Williams (who might’ve been on target when he labeled his team’s defense “soft” but he effectively threw teammates under the bus when he mandated lineup changes).
Murray has taken a more cerebral approach in his leadership than Williams. His graduate work in industrial-organizational psychology led him to study the qualities of NFL quarterbacks like Tom Brady. For one project, he surveyed teammates and coaches on where they believed he fell short as a leader. Their feedback: Murray needed to be more vocal. So he has been this season, without cutting off anybody at the knees.
“In some instances I need to be more demanding and vocal,” he said. “I have to make sure guys are accountable.”
He was beat up physically and emotionally recently. Georgia had lost to South Carolina. His house was egged by lunatics. His father underwent surgery. He even got a speeding ticket driving back to Athens from Florida following the bye week. But he tried to stay upbeat publicly.
“Fake it ’til you make it, I guess,” he said. “Especially as the quarterback, I have to make sure I have a high energy level. Running around, screaming and yelling and having fun, making sure guys see that I’m ready to go.”
It’s opportunity week. Georgia can take control in the SEC East. Murray can put to rest criticism about big-game performances. Quarterbacks are defined by games like this, fair or unfair. Here’s Murray’s chance to rewrite “the book.”
By Jeff Schultz
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412 comments Add your comment
Bobo
October 25th, 2012
7:30 am
No WAY Georgia beats Florida. It just isn’t going to happen. Murray may be a better NFL prospect than Driskel right now, but I don’t think that matters much when your O-line has played as poorly as UGA’s has and your defense is a complete flop. Driskel is going to shred the UGA defense one way or another. If they take away the RB, Driskel will just option out and take off running for 100+ yards. I don’t see UGA’s secondary stopping him from passing either. UGA is good, but UF is on the verge of being great. They’re one of maybe 3 teams that have any shot, whatsoever, at Bama.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
7:38 am
I gotta get ready for school. The short-bus will be here in about 15 minutes.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
7:40 am
Well, South Carolina certainly cannot beat Alabama, and they made mishmush out of us. That means we have no business winning the SEC Least where the mighty measuring stick for our season was Missouri who has not won a single SEC game. Yeah, some measuring stick, as I said pre-game. Of course, the save-face Richt Apologists in hiding as we speak, will brag that we were ahead of Alabama early in the game, neglect to point-out the score actually was 10-42, and oh yeah – we made it to The SEC Championship Game something South Carolina did not; yet, South Carolina has beat little Aaron Murray like a drum 3 times in a row – the 1st UGA Quarterback in the entire history of college football to accomplish that feat, too. No, Aaron Murray is NOT the better NFL prospect right now than Jeff Driskel – not even close – just a puerile comment.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
7:58 am
When you think of wee-little Aaron Murray, do you really think of a game-manager as our Quarterback ? It is a trifling, jejune, lightweight comment to make that Aaron Murray has been allowed to stay out there to run up his stats with 5 Touchdown Passes vs New Mexico State – a 4 win 9 Loss western athletic conference, team. Instead of bringing in a back-up QB to prepare him. The same as against South Carolina losing 35 to NOTHING when Steve Spurrier emptied the bench at the 10:45 mark left in the game, only to AGAIN watch in horror as Mark Richt left little Aaron Murray out there STILL, and yet it still took until the 1:55 mark for him to finally game-manage us a single touchdown against a team this Florida opponent beat 44-11.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
8:00 am
9 seasons’ ago was the last time Mark Richt prepared a back-up Quarterback for us. That’s 2004 for the mathematically challenged amongst us.
Predictor
October 25th, 2012
8:06 am
“9 seasons’ ago was the last time Mark Richt prepared a back-up Quarterback for us.”
Do Georgia fans not understand the absolute insanity of that? The only explanation for such behavior is to allow the QB to pad his statistics. UGA doesn’t have a football “team” — they have a collection of individual players.
Oompa
October 25th, 2012
8:11 am
Fire Thomas Brown! Anybody could do a better job than that guy!
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
8:14 am
Common Opponents before Kick-Off :
17 FL beat over tn vols, we won by 7
14 FL beat over Vandie, we won by 45
38 FL beat over Kentuc, we won by 5
33 FL beat over SoCar, we LOST by 28
_______________________________
73 points better Florida Seasons’ Difference to-date vs Common Opponents
HJ
October 25th, 2012
8:18 am
Schultz apparently doesn’t watch the weather. Advantage taken away with Sandy. Good luck throwing with 30-45 mph winds.
FLA DAWG
October 25th, 2012
8:31 am
McGarity could’ve had Muschamp a couple of years ago but gave Richt, Bobo and Grantham contract extensions and raises instead……………..SHREWD !
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
8:33 am
As Florida has been 73 points better against all Common Opponents Florida and Georgia have played to-date, 4 games, is an average of 18 points a game better than us. And, as Todd Grantham has given up no less than 33 points against ANY opponent who made any Top 25 Poll yet, and lost all 10 of those games as a direct result, I predict Florida will score 33 points and beat us by 18 points, meaning our Offense either puts up only 15 or whatever number more than 15 we score, Florida will either score that many more than 33 points themselves, or yank their starters to leave little Aaron Murray still out there flinging the ball in 25 mph winds against a far-better secondary than we have. So, if the score is FL 33, then we score 15. If the score is FL 38, then we score 20. Either way, the difference is, we are 18 points worse than the team you were rooting for just last weekend, who has beat Mark Richt 8 out of 11 games – many of those 8 years with not nearly as good a team as we had that season. That’s 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 years Florida has beat Mark Richt already, for the mathematically challenged idjit. The team you were rooting for just last week, who is # 2 in the nation, and has already won national championships in 1996, 2006 and 2008, while you keep whining about Mark Richt will bring us one, disregarding totally that Florida has already beat LSU and South Carolina, while once again as always Mark Richt has beat NO ONE. Why is it that you just simply skip right past beating the top teams, while continuing this harangue that Mark Richt is great ? Because you don’t want to go there. Because you know he is the # 8 worst coach in just The SEC in the Mark Richt era at beating top teams his entire 12-year period with but only 3 wins against teams who make the top 10 out of 17 games to-date. By the way, his 3 wins were all 3 none of them in a year when he actually had a great season himself, meaning those 3 wins out of 17 to-date only slightly mitigate the damage of those 3 seasons. 3, you know ? The number after 2 and before 4.
No, when you are # 8 in your own conference at beating teams who made the Top 10 in your own entire Mark Richt era – you don’t know what the hell you are doing quite obviously.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
8:40 am
I believe this Official Forecast says 34 mph for JAX Saturday.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIAPWSAT3+shtml/250835.shtml
globeflyer
October 25th, 2012
8:42 am
UF by 20.
dmr
October 25th, 2012
8:52 am
Hurricane Sandy. 22 mph winds. Possible rain. This can neutralize Murray and the kicking game when going against the wind. Running game will be key in these conditions.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
8:59 am
Remind me again, Florida is a running offense who cannot pass the football, has a Special Teams’ Coach they hired who was the Stanford Special Teams’ Coach and a punter who leads the nation, while our own punter is # 109 in the nation, and their secondary actually covers receivers while ours in the entire Todd Grantham era, has not covered a single receiver one single time; and, while our “offensive coordinator” we stole from Jacksonville State where he was only the quarterbacks’ coach even there runs his pass-happy offense.
Yeah, 22 mph winds and rain possibly is just wonderful news for little Aaron Murray.
Big advantage, again, for Georgia eh Jeff Schultz ?
To Tell the Truth
October 25th, 2012
9:27 am
This guy has not beaten a higher ranked team EVER!!!!
FL will OWN GA!!!
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
October 25th, 2012
9:48 am
I think THOMAS BROWN needs to get laid. Hie frustrated fingers are revolting by spending hours typing on the blogs.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
10:04 am
I wouldn’t worry my little self about it, if I were you and all I could do was come on here and pick on me, like I am the reason we’ve lost 10 games in a row to the top teams.
King Gator
October 25th, 2012
10:14 am
UF 31
GA 13
———
GA fans 500+ posts calling for CMR’s job
DogsRise
October 25th, 2012
10:17 am
This is the biggest game for Ga in 10 years! The Dogs will rise up and upset florida—mark it down! Ga 29 fla 23!
ugaclassof2004
October 25th, 2012
10:38 am
CAN UGA beat Florida? Absolutely. Will They? Meh….
I like where you head is at Jeff, but you’re focusing on the wrong thing. Football is a game of attitude and emotion. For UGA to win they have to strike first and strike hard ( like the Cobra Kai’s). They need a no-prisoners mentality. Flying around the ball, getting turnovers, blowing guys off the ball, its all of those things. I want my team to come into Jax with the mentality of “we are going to punch these guys in the face for 3 hours and see how they like it”. THAT is what wins games. Say what you will about Florida, but they have not been REALLY punched in the mouth yet, and I personally don’t think they’ll handle it well.
If we come out flat, and are down 28-0 in the first half, then that clearly shows you that these players aren’t buying into Richt anymore. And if that is the case, Richt’s gotta go, maybe even at the end of this year.
Oompa
October 25th, 2012
10:39 am
Uh, King, 400 of those posts are by Thomas Brownstain alone. He’s on meth apparently.
Kim
October 25th, 2012
10:40 am
“Hurricane Sandy. 22 mph winds. Possible rain. This can neutralize Murray and the kicking game when going against the wind. Running game will be key in these conditions.”
Also, have you SEEN our (FL) defense this year?! Scary good. Once again, someone will forget to let the dogs out. GO GATORS!!!!!
Excuses Dawg
October 25th, 2012
10:41 am
Crosswind!!!!
Kim
October 25th, 2012
10:45 am
Also: Driskel has more wins over top 25 ranked opponents in six starts (3) than Georgia’s Aaron Murray has in three seasons (2).
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
October 25th, 2012
11:08 am
Hell YES…….here it is a dWag finally said MARK IT DOWN…….Now if he will just BET THE HOUSE…..
DogsRise
October 25th, 2012
10:17 am
This is the biggest game for Ga in 10 years! The Dogs will rise up and upset florida—mark it down! Ga 29 fla 23!
……………………………………DwagRise…………….pleas put some MONEY on that mouth.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
11:09 am
Yes, and your 2 wins are teams who will both make the Top 25
We lost 16 of the last 18 games to teams who made the Top 25
So, you’ve won as many games this year alone as we’ve won over teams making the Top 25 out of last 18 games against teams who made the top 25.
You’ve also won a game over a team who makes the Top 10 and Mark Richt has not won a game over a team who made the top 10 since 7 seasons ago. Nice.
2012-1
2011-2
2010-3
2009-4
2008-5
2007-6
2006-7 seven seasons’ ago we beat # 9 Auburn, none since who made Top 10
I am not jealous mind you of your accomplishments this season, for they are impressive beating South Carolina and LSU already, but I point out that Mark Richt in his Mark Richt 12-year era here has won a grand total of 3 games against teams who made the top 10, making Georgia in the Mark Richt era # 8 of just our own conference in terms of winning games against teams who made the Top 10.
Nothing new for you guys to beat a team who made the top 10. You do it all the time. In the Mark Richt era, you do it all the time, just as you’ve done again this year, and just as Mark Richt again this season as he has not done 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2008, 2007 and have to go back to 2006 season to find a season in which Mark Richt beat a team who made the Top 10.
Best of luck to you in the game at the stadium where they play the Gator Bowl every year.
One day, we as fans will want to quit coming down there to get drunk in that hell-hole of JAX at this time of the year – not ideal. I am not making excuses, as that is not in my nature. You’ve won 18 of the last 22 meetings between our teams and have 3 NC to show for it, 1996, 2006 and 2008, already. You can bet I was not 1 of the DISNEYdawgs.com who ran in here last week proclaiming my love and loyalty and rooting for you against South Carolina. I’d rather them win than you, any day and twice on Sunday.
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
October 25th, 2012
11:15 am
Jeff Schultz must be HUNG OVER……he hasn’t posted his PICKS and the Count’s cute girl of the day…..I guess he is trying to decide on how bad he want to make the DWAG fans with his pick.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
11:22 am
15-33
40for30
October 25th, 2012
11:25 am
Advantage UGA meet 20-MPH cross-wind and banged-up OL = Advantage CROCS.
Bobo
October 25th, 2012
11:50 am
Prediction: What you will see is that this is the game where Jeff Driskel begins to establish himself as one of the elite slash QBs in college football. The kid has all the tools to be Tebow II. Georgia won’t be able to score enough points to keep their defense off the field for long. Defense eventually tires from chasing Gillislee and Driskel around everywhere, then UF strikes for big plays through the air. UF wins this one 37-17.
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
12:05 pm
sumin’ like that
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
12:08 pm
But only something like that, because your quarterback will be better than Aaron Murray for the 13th time in the Aaron Murray Era, all 13 of which he lost, and 11 of the 13 of which made any top 25 poll.
Patty McGroin
October 25th, 2012
12:34 pm
I don’t have a dog in the fight, pardon the pun, since I am a Noles fan, but “cross winds” or “comments by GA players this week”, etc. will not overcome the fact that GA is a very mediocre team with selfish talent (playing for their NFL careers) but no discipline. GA consistently plays poorly in the first half, giving up points from easy turn overs and penalties. Expect that personality trait to continue. GA keeps it reasonably close for a half… then goes down in flames and fans will ask themselves yet again: why does this happen? How is it that we have this talent and rarely beat the better SEC teams? Richt will come back next year and it’ll play out the same exact way.
I feel for GA. They deserve better. Plus I hate Florida!
Patty McGroin
October 25th, 2012
12:39 pm
PS. I would like to know what Schultz is smoking. GA? The edge? Really? lol
Escaped from Email Purgatory
October 25th, 2012
12:45 pm
Schultz, seems you’re using overall statistics to refute Murray’s less-than-stellar big-game performances. That and citing the “football is a team game” mantra to diffuse blame that’s often heaped on the QB.
Hogwash. Murray is an extension of both CMR and Mike Bobo. Ain’t none of them got a distinguished record in big games.
I try to remember too, that throughout Murray’s tenure as starting QB, he’s been an 19-to-21 year old young man. He doesn’t deserve, in my opinion anyway, the same heat that should be aimed at CMR and Bobo. They do this for a living.
If Aaron Murray and his mentors on the sideline and coach’s box come up big on Saturday against UF, it will be bucking an irrefutable and opposite trend that’s been going on for almost five years.
harold
October 25th, 2012
1:12 pm
No! But Tennessee will if they land Jon Gruden. Strong rumors. Nick Saban now has some competition!
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
October 25th, 2012
1:22 pm
Jon “Chucky” Gruden is NOT going to the VOLS.
You have a better chance of getting Duke’s Cutcliff and Payton Manning being the OC/ Coach in waiting in 3 years after his NFL career is done than you do getting CHUCKY.
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
October 25th, 2012
1:36 pm
all UGa fans not going to the game in JAX are being given UGa Diploma paper(toilet paper) and Eggs to decorate the UGa players homes and cars after the game.
blue
October 25th, 2012
1:54 pm
Seriously? The ‘edge’ is a guy who hasn’t QB’d the team to a win over a top 10 team in his career?
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
1:56 pm
SEC teams with winning SEC records every game in row lost :
(01) 30-41 Loss Alabama 2008 # 6 with SEC Record 8-1
(02) 10-49 Loss Florida 2008 # 1 with SEC Record 8-1
(03) 13-20 Loss LSU 2009 # 17 SEC Record 5-3
(04) 17-41 Loss Florida 2009 # 3 with SEC Record 8-1
(05) 06-17 Loss South Carolina 2010 # 22 SEC Record 5-4
(06) 24-31 Loss Arky 2010 # 12 with SEC Record 6-2
(07) 31-49 Loss Auburn 2010 with SEC Record 9-0
(08) 42-45 Loss South Carolina 2011 SEC Record 6-2
(09) 10-42 Loss LSU 2011 with SEC Record 9-1
(10) 07-35 Loss South Carolina 2012 SEC Record 3-2
____________________________________________________
Lost 10 SEC Games in Row vs teams with Winning SEC Record
____________________________________________________
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2012
2:03 pm
____________________________________________________
Lost 10 SEC Games in Row vs teams with Winning SEC Record
____________________________________________________
Average Score : 19-37, again 18 points difference
I am going with 19-37, what do you think ? 19-37 or 15-33, no difference.
Average those two : 17-35
The point spread should be 18.
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
October 25th, 2012
2:12 pm
Dis SCHULTZ DIE?
JEFF where are your Thursday Picks.
DawgDad II
October 25th, 2012
3:08 pm
“The Gators physically beat two highly ranked teams, LSU and South Carolina”
This does not bode well. Until the Dawgs prove they can handle a top-10 team you have to look at their history that screams they cannot. Florida by 27, and I just hope that isn’t all in the first half.
PR
October 25th, 2012
3:13 pm
I’ll take our RB’s over the UF RB’s also… and our WR’s.
This weekend will be about winning on the OL and DL though.
Corn Dawg
October 25th, 2012
3:28 pm
@PR
Gurshall = Superior Running Backs?
These true Freshmen have played exactly one game against quality competition. Their results in the South Carolina game?
T. Gurley - 13 carries for 39 yards.
K. Marshall – 12 carries for 37 yards.
Superior?
Superior to what?
PR
October 25th, 2012
3:56 pm
Nice use of bold brah. Who said “superior?”… I said I’d take ours over theirs and I still would.
25 carries between 2 RB’s wasn’t nearly enough against SC… We clearly abandoned the run after falling behind by 3 TD’s early.
Corn Dawg
October 25th, 2012
4:06 pm
No they didn’t. Georgia ran 31 pass plays and 36 run plays. They eventually put those 2 little pups on the bench and Ken Malcolme racked up more yardage than either of them in 5 carries. Maybe they’ll be decent RBs when they grow up?
The Truth
October 25th, 2012
4:28 pm
This UGA team is the exact same as last years UGA team. Good against weaker opponents but does not have the toughness to beat teams that are equal or possibly more talented. Look at last year, did not have the toughness to beat Boise, or S. Carolina got an easy schedule the rest of the season,then all was fine had it all going against LSU, the got humiliated in the second half. Was not tough enough to finish it out and then ended the season with the same process in the bowl game. No difference this year, except they started the season with easy games, built up the record and ranking and the first tough opponent that comes along, they get beat down.
Let’s contrast that with UF this year. They were not good last year, not as good as UGA and it showed. Start this year with a lackluster showing against Bowling Green and play A&M the next week on the road. Down at half but make adjustments and tough out a win. Same against Tennessee on the road the next week, down at half make adjustments but this time just power past UT to win. Next big game, same thing happens but at home. Down to LSU at half, make adjustments then win the game and was impressive running on LSU. They never gave S. Carolina a chance in their last game.
The advantage is not Murray. The advantage is the UF coaching staff. They have improved that team and have made that team tough enough to not quit and beat strong opponents. UGA is same as last year. UGA can win this game and if they do I think this will be a big step for them. However, if they lose can UGA really expect more out of this coaching staff? Hard to let go of coaches that win 10 games in consecutive years but in the SEC where the other big programs have already BCS championships and in some cases multiple championships, should UGA expect more?
John
October 25th, 2012
4:56 pm
He puts up big numbers on patsies and wilts against teams with a winning records. He is not a difference maker, you can win in spite of him with superior pieces around him. No “signature win” in 3 years, obviously has maxed out his talent as a freshman (no upside). Georgia won’t lose Saturday because of him directly, but the offense will go 3 and out in critical times of the game and the defense will tire. However, after Florida takes a 2 touchdown lead, with their defense in “prevent position” later in the game, Murray will shine, but when the bullets are flying he’s a sitting duck.